KUALA LUMPUR: Sultan of Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah received a state welcome at Istana Negara in Malaysia on Thursday (Aug 3) as part of his three-day state visit.
Upon arriving at the palace at 11am, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and his consort Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha were greeted by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.
The event was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, and other Cabinet ministers.
The state welcoming ceremony commenced with the national anthems of both countries being performed by the Royal Malay Regiment central band, followed by a 21-gun salute.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah then inspected a guard of honor comprising of four officers and 103 rank-and-file personnel from the First Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Subsequently, the Sultan of Brunei and Al-Sultan Abdullah planted a Simpor tree (Dillenia Suffroticosa) in the palace compound, observed by Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha, Tunku Azizah, Anwar, and Dr Wan Azizah.
The two leaders then held a meeting to discuss matters pertaining to the longstanding bilateral relations between Malaysia and Brunei.
In honor of the visiting monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong hosted a state banquet.
Later in the day, the Sultan of Brunei is scheduled to meet with Anwar at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya, where they will also witness the signing of several bilateral agreements between the two countries.
In the evening, the Brunei Sultan will attend a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister at the Malaysian Petroleum Club located in the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
In 2019, Al-Sultan Abdullah visited Brunei for a three-day state trip aimed at strengthening ties and bilateral relations between the two countries.
Brunei was Malaysia’s 26th largest trading partner and the 6th largest within ASEAN in 2022, with total trade amounting to RM13.22bil, a 68.4% increase compared to the previous year. – Bernama
Credit: The Star : News Feed
